Vehicle spring mount



L. J- GENETT VEHICLE statue" MOUNT Fild July 12. 1920 WI T NESS:

Jlf/SY A TTORNE Y5 Fate-rated Feb. 39, 1924.

entree stares,

LOUIS 3'. German, or nianaun'r'rn, MICHIGAN, nss'renon or clan-turn LONG-YEAR, an, or nanonnrrn, MICHIGAN.

TENT

I VEHICLE SPRING MOUNT.

Application filediuly '12, 1920. Serial No. 395,441.

To all whom 2'23 may concern: p a 7 Be it known that 1, Louis J. GENETT, a citizen of the United'States, residing at Man quette, in the county'of Marquette and the J State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Spring Mounts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to vehicle-supporting springsand means-for mounting them. It consists in the features and elements and their combinations, hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation in part section, of a spring embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is asection at the line 22, on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section at the line 3-3, on Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a rear axle and spring with this invention applied thereto.

It is common practice to mount springs of the type known as semi-elliptical when used in the position shown in the. drawings by. securing the center to the chassis and connecting each end to the axle by 'a shackle or short link whereby the end of the spring is positioned below the point of support of' the shackle.

These shackles are primarily intended to provide for the elongation of the-spring when under load; but in any position less than the maximum flexure they also undesirably admit of a side sway and rocking of the chassis due to thepeculiar action of the shackle which permits the spring ends to sway laterally with respect to the vehicle.

The present invention aims to overcome this difficulty by eliminating the shackles and so forming the spring that the ends thereof may be supported in fittings which are stationarily secured in position on. the axle. The brackets, or perches, originally intended for supporting the upper ends of the shackles may serve for such securement.

For purpose of illustration the drawing indicates a type of spring and axle of familiar outline as used in automobiles having both springs'lying-inplanes parallel to the front and rear axle; that is, acrossthe chassis.

The front axle, 1,;as shown in Figure1, I g

has the usual spring perch, 2, to which-a orrics.

rro new filling, 3, is secured by means of a bolt, 4, j

taking through the ears, or lugs, 5. The fitting, 5, 1s further secured in position by the downwardly projectin pin, 6, occu a hole, 7, drilledin the a xle-near the di ch? 2. The member, 6, may be a separate pin, or it may shown.

The body portion of the fitting, .3, is of box-like formation with an opening, 8, at one side, into which the end of the spring, 9, is introduced. The. overhanging lip, ,10,,pre-,

vents the accidental displacement of the spring. 7 1 r y Projecting from the lip, 10, is a housing,

be cast integral with the fitting, 3, as v 11, for a helical spring, 12, whose function: is to absorb the shock to which the chassis or load-carrying portion of the vehicle is exposed from the up and-down movement of the wheels and axles, resultant from passing over irregularities in the road-bed, and

serving particularly to shield or protect, the forward end of the vehicle where the engine is usually located, from the shock of the rebound incidentto sudden deflection of the i transverse spring. To prevent the shock-absorbing spring, 12, from being displaced there is providedat'itsllower end a hollow or cup-shaped plunger, 13, whose lower'end V is rounded and in contact with the spring, 9.

The spring, 12, reacts against the top of the housing, 11, and theplunger, 13, is guided in its vertical course in-the -housing, 11, as

shown in Figure 1. i y The inner vertical wa1l,,14, of the fitting just below the opening, 8, for the spring, 9,

co-acts with the lo 0p,*15, at the end of-the said spring, 9, for retaining it inposition and centering it with respectto the medial o line of the wheeltread; such centering is further assisted by the small flat springs,

16, each of which isformed with sufficient curvature or bow to. occupy the space between the outer looped end,-15, ofthespring,

9, and the adjacent v.wallot' theifitting, 3.-

. flPreferably,fland as'shown in F ig. 1, the.

bottom of ea'ch centering spring 16 'rests upon the bottomj of the, fitting or uponga lining plate, presently referred to, and both ends of the spring'16 are seated upon the.

vertical wall'ofthe recess for the spring 9.

It will be understood; that p when under load or other conditions causing the spring,

' provided a wear-plate,

9, to deflect, that owing to its arcuate form when normal, there will be a spreading or elongation of the spring when under such load, and the bow springs, 16, are provided to accommodate such change of length.

During the change of length of springs, 9, just referred to, the loop, 15, will travel or slide along the bottom. of

the

the pocket for the springend in the fitting, 3, and to prevent wear of the fitt ng, andalso of'the loops, 15, by such act1on, there is 17, of anti-friction or non-metallic material such as fibre or the equivalent thereof.

Thespring, 9, as previously stated which .is of the semi-elliptic type, is made up of I by the maximu 7 thereof, an outwardly-rounded lip as shown acts in the usual manner of such devices upon the portion the first or bottom one of length to be bent back loop, 15, and terminat- 18, which serves to and also for binding the assembly of leaves at that point.

It is desirable to lubricate the spring at its point of support, and for that purpose advantage is taken of the spaces 1n the pocket of the fitting, 3, and also of the opening, or eye, of the loop, 15, for packing several leaves, which is of sufficient on itself, forming the ing in a clamp, or clip,

secure such termination in position,

"thereina quantity of oil-soaked waste, or-

other absorbent or lubricant-retaining sub stance, which will provide the lubrication in a simple and obvious manner. 7

When the spring, 9,is flexed to its limit load designed to be imthereon, the end loop, 15, will bear the wall, 14, and at the same time press outwardly against the inner wall of the pocket. There will be a tendency for of the loop'that is in contact with the wall, 14, to bend at that point, and in the absence of provision to the contrary, it wouldbe liable to crystallize. To prevent this the wall, 14, has, at the upper portion posed over which the spring may bend in a rather gradual curve, thus reducing the tendency for movably anchoring the several parts together, thatis, the wall,'14i, guarding against displacement of the spring longitudinal-ly thereof, and the lip, 10, preventing the hook-shaped loop from withdrawing vertically from the fitting, 3. f

In both Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, it is observable that the loops15are somewhat hook-shaped. Thisis chiefly so'that the end portion of the loop rather than the lateral portion thereof shall bear upon the wear-plate 17. i

' l vhile the drawingsshow an embodiment of the invention wherein the supporting sprlng is attached to the chassis of a veaXle, it is manifest without further delineation that the relation may be reversed,that is to say, the center of the spring may be secured to the axle. andthe end fitting,

for the spring secured to the chassis as is the I practice in light trucks and trailers, where the springs are placed longitudinally of the vehicle frame. 1

1 claim V I 1. In combination with a vehicle body and hicle, and the end fittings as secured to the an axle, a leaf spring secured intermediate its ends to one of said parts and having a smoothly rounded end affording a convex versely of the length of the spring, and .a pocket secured to the other part, affording a cooperating bearing surface and being adapted, to hold a lubricating packing therein, the opening of said pocket extending transversely of the bearing surface therein. 2. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle therefor a leaf spring situated intermediate its ends to one of said partshaving a smoothly rounded end, the other part being provided with a pocke't'to receive said end of the spring and opening toward the middle of the spring together with the yielding means associated with the pocket bearing transversely against the springoutside the pocket and adjacent its opening substantially in a direction parallel to that of the bearing pressure of the spring onthe bean ing surface in the pocket.

3. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle therefor a leaf spring secured intermediate its ends to the body and having 1 a smoothlyrounded end,:apocket mounted bearing surface adapted to react trans on the axle to receive said end of the spring and opening toward the middle of the spring, the axle having a spring perch a lug on the pocket attached to said perch bya single bolt and apin extending from the pocket into the axle to'check pivotal movenient about said bolt. 1 r 4., lnthe structure definedin claim 1,-the pocket comprising a box-like structure'having anopening at one side for introducing the spring end therein, said opening having curved or rounded edge for contact with the flat side of the spring thus introduced.

5. in the structure defined in claim 1, the pocket including a housing overhanging the leaf spring, a plunger guided in said house ing and a helical spring in the housing reacting through the plunger against the leafspring.

6.1n the structure defined in claim 1,

a bow spring interposed between the said loop and one of the walls of said pocket.

7 In the structure defined in claim 1, one of the leaves of said spring being bent back on itself forming a loop at the bent end and terminating in a clip for securement to the spring at a distance from said loop.

8. In the combination defined in claim 1, the smoothly rounded end portion of the spring being bent to extend transversely and the pocket having an overhanging Wall or lip and a vertical wall interposed between the bent end portion and the middle portion of the spring with a lateral opening between said lip and wall, whereby the spring is interlocked with the pocket.

9. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle therefor, a leaf spring secured intermediate its ends to one of said parts, said spring having smoothly rounded ends, and the other part being provided with pockets to receive said ends of the spring, said pockets opening oppositely and toward the middle portion of the spring.

opening adapted to permit longitudinal ex- I tension of said spring under load.

11. Inthe combination defined in claim 1, yielding means in the pocket opposite the opening engaging the end portion of the spring and permitting-longitudinal extent thereof under a load. 7 p a V 12. In combination, a vehicle part, a spring pocket secured thereon, a leaf spring having its end loosely seated in the pocket, and a shock-absorber exerting pressure on the spring near its end in a direction substantially parallel to that of the springs pressure on its seat in the pocket.

13. In the combination defined in claim 12 the shock-absorber comprising a housing secured to said pocket, and a movable takeup device in the housing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 9th day of July, 1920. 1

, LOUIS J. GE-NETT. 

